I feel something important is happening around me. And it scares me.
Archive | February, 2012
No surprises as The Artist dominates the Baftas
14 FebAwards darling The Artist swept the board at Sunday night’s 65th Baftas, winning in seven of the 12 categories it was nominated in. The British film industries premier film awards ceremony, held in the luxurious surroundings of the Royal Opera House, was a somewhat staid and predictable undertaking, offering up little in the way of surprises.
Host Stephen Fry did his best to irreverently mug his way through proceedings, lest he let our global showcase turn into an Oscar-esque snoozefest, but the distinct lack of any leftfield wins lent the whole affair a rather pedestrian air.
From the Archives: Container (2006)
14 Feb
Swedish auteur Lukas Moodysson has never been afraid to take risks. His 2004 feature A Hole in My Heart was a visceral insight into the lives of a dysfunctional family unit involved in amateur pornography. It challenged audiences and critics alike with its graphic representations of genital mutilation, vomit and urination. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Moodysson’s latest film Container once again represents a radical departure from convention. Devoid of any standard narrative structure or substance, Moodysson’s bleak black-and-white visuals come accompanied by American actress Jena Malone’s monotone, yet strangely hypnotic voiceover. Her words only occasionally bear any relation to what is happening on the screen.
Annie Hall (1977)
14 Feb
Love is too weak a word for what I feel - I luuurve you, you know, I loave you, I luff you.
Patrick Bateman on Whitney Houston
13 FebOf all the tributes I’ve heard since Whitney Houston’s death, not one has come close to Patrick Bateman’s eloquent summary of her first album in American Psycho, which you can see here.
“Did you know that Whitney Houston’s debut LP, called simply Whitney Houston had four number one singles on it? Did you know that, Christie? It’s hard to choose a favourite among so many great tracks, but “The Greatest Love of All” is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation, dignity. Its universal message crosses all boundaries and instils one with the hope that it’s not too late to better ourselves. Since, Elizabeth, it’s impossible in this world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. It’s an important message, crucial really. And it’s beautifully stated on the album.”
Bateman listening to Whitney Houston no doubt...
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
9 Feb
There’ll be no more killing aboard this ship, not even Captain Bligh.
The Woman in Black (2012)
9 FebThose familiar with Susan Hill’s 1983 novel The Woman in Black and the ensuing stage adaptation will be au fait with this terrifying tale of death and revenge. Perhaps surprisingly, this haunting story has only been adapted for the screen once before, in the form of a 1989 BBC TV movie and this long overdue big screen adaptation promises much given the involvement of horror veterans Hammer Film Productions.
Hammer and director James Watkins pulled off what some might have perceived as something of a coup by signing up none other than Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, to play the lead Arthur Kipps. This is what is sure to be the first of many forays into uncertain territory for Radcliffe as he looks to distance himself from the looming spectre of Harry, Dumbledore, Hogwarts et al, an unenviable task if there ever was one.
Don't call me HARRY!
Internets shitstorm over latest Prometheus photo
9 FebIn a mad, mad week just before Christmas last year, the world lost their collective shit over trailers for The Hobbit, The Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus. Fanboys obliterated the twittersphere with ‘debate’ about Bane’s nonsensical mumblings, admiration for a dwarf chorus and a whole lot of second guessing about a Space Jockey mask.
But it was Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel teaser that wiped the floor with that of the chiropteran man and the vertically challenged inhabitants of The Shire.
Thankfully (read: tediously and unnecessarily) the web was soon awash with frame by frame deconstructions of Ridley’s teaser, effectively defeating the entire purpose of the deliberately ambiguous rapid fire trailer. Since then, every time a new Prometheus image surfaces online, the latest of which can be seen here, we are treated to more speculation about what it all means.
crash/burn 